LOVE, LIES & CONSEQUENCES

I PLIGHT THEE MY TROTH
TILL DEATH US DO PART

 An epic Greek tragedy, Huhne-v-Pryce, is playing to the whole UK today. You saw the film, War of the Roses, where a civilised, divorcing couple fight to the death over who keeps the house, and you found it painfully unbelievable. This marital breakdown proves yet again that fact is far, far stranger than fiction.

Briefly: High flying, posh, public school, politician Chris Huhne MP, tipped to be the next Leader of the Liberal-Democrat Party, in 2003 tripped a road speed camera, incurring 3 more penalty points; was about to lose his driving licence, but instead his loyal wife – top economist Professor Vicky Pryce, of Greek extraction, claimed to be the driver and “took” the penalty points on her clean driving licence; which is a loyal and illegal little lie. Just 3 months later Huhne lost his licence on other traffic offences. Seven years later Minister for the Environment, The Rt. Hon. Chris Huhne MP dumped Vicky for his personal assistant – and it now transpires, had other lovers. Vicky vowed revenge – and via the media and lawyer friends she shopped Chris for lying to the police.

Lying to the police, even over a trivial traffic offence, is a VERY SERIOUS MATTER called Perverting the Course of Justice – tantamount to Perjury or lying in Court, which can carry a life-sentence. It has ruined several prominent British figures. What Vicky in her venomous, vengeful mood failed to consider was that it takes two to tango – if Chris had lied on the traffic forms – then so had she.  After a hugely expensive year in court, revealing all the skeletons in their family cupboards and upsetting their children, friends and colleagues – to the continuing delight of the media -  ruined and disgraced Chris pleaded guilty to Perverting the Course of Justice; Vicky pleaded “Marital Coercion” – he made me do it your Honour – but was found guilty. They both now wait for their sentences; “Which will almost certainly be custodial (i.e. jail)”.

The other two million Britons who said they would have taken such penalty points to save the licence of a spouse, colleague or friend – are reconsidering their position.

TAX EVASION: The reason I am interested in the case is that it concerns rich, powerful, professional people persistently lying with assumed impunity – until they get caught. Then it becomes very serious as questions are asked about who signed the forms; who signed the certificates; who advised the signing; and who took the oaths. 

Just as the two million merry motorists thought it was OK to fiddle the forms – until this case exploded across the front pages – so about 620,000 UK tax non-payers who have shovelled corporate and personal profits and assets to tax-havens and evaded UK taxes, still assume that “Its OK, everybody does it – and they’ll never find-out”.

“You will not be so cocksure, Sir, when you are clutching the bar at the Old Bailey”.

I SAY AVOIDANCE - YOU SAY EVASION